


Entwined

by kiyala



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Empathy, M/M, Touching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-09
Updated: 2016-03-09
Packaged: 2018-05-25 17:05:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6203617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiyala/pseuds/kiyala
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Soulmates share their emotions with each other when their hands touch. Yahaba experiences it for the first time when he and Kyoutani share a high five after winning a match.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Entwined

Their bond sparks into life sometime early in third year, with the shrill sound of the referee's whistle is still hanging in the air to declare that they've won the match, the court smelling of sweat and floor polish and salonpas. 

The entire team is rushing towards Kyoutani, who made the winning spike, cheering loudly. Kyoutani looks up, through the arms of their teammates, to meet Yahaba's eyes so they can grin at each other. It's not their first victory as captain and ace, but they're finally settling with each other, both on and off the court. Today's match was a good one for them finding their rhythm and Yahaba knows that it's a result of the way they've been getting along with each other better. 

They reach out towards each other, palms slapping together in a high five and that's when Yahaba feels it: a sudden spike of elation that builds on top of his own. It doesn't feel like his own happiness, but a rush of pride and satisfaction that surges through him, leaving him breathless. It's there one moment and then gone, when the high five is over. It leaves them both staring at each other, frozen in place.

The team doesn't notice, and doesn't give them time to dwell on it, sweeping them both up in the next round of congratulations and it reminds Yahaba that he has an important role to play here. His own personal feelings come second to his duties as a captain, and that means that he needs to call everyone to line up so that they can thank their opponents, and then lead the way off court to pack up. 

Kyoutani walks over to Yahaba's side, clearing his throat quietly. Yahaba doesn't look at him, continuing to pack balls into their trolley. 

"Yahaba—"

"You played well today," Yahaba cuts him off. He looks up, a ball in his hands, fingers digging into the firm fabric of it. "Really well. You should be proud of yourself."

Kyoutani frowns. "Yahaba—"

"Not now," Yahaba tells him firmly. "Later. We'll talk later."

"The bus." 

Yahaba shakes his head. "Later than that. Somewhere more private." 

Kyoutani nods, continuing to help Yahaba. They're careful to keep their hands from coming into contact again and Yahaba is sorely tempted to reach over just to check, just to test his hypothesis, but he doesn't have the right to do that if he's going to make Kyoutani wait so they can talk about it.

He thanks the first-years for taking the trolley with his kindest smile, turning to the team to give them a congratulatory speech. He's stopped worrying about being as inspiring as Oikawa; he's stopped worrying about trying to emulate Oikawa at all, because he knows that's not who he is. He has his own style when it comes to captaincy and he sticks to it, thanking his teammates for their work, congratulating them on overcoming the obstacles in their path. 

They're done for the day, so they head back to the bus. It's pure chance that has him sitting beside Kyoutani and they don't speak as the bus engine hums into life and it feels a little awkward. Kyoutani is looking out of the window and Yahaba is looking down at his phone, a little too tense in his seat to keep their shoulders from brushing against each other, even though he knows that's not how this works.

Soulmates aren't determined at birth, and they're not necessarily set in stone. Yahaba has read that bonds express themselves between people best suited for each other at the time. It happens in different ways, but the most common is what they experienced earlier, by being able to share emotions when their hands are joined. 

Perhaps Yahaba isn't as patient as he hopes to be, perhaps it's Kyoutani, or perhaps it's both of them, but they're halfway back to school when they reach for each other's hands, their fingers brushing. They turn to each other, and Yahaba holds Kyoutani's gaze, gently slotting their fingers together. Kyoutani's fingers close around his, before he turns his palm, pressing it against Yahaba's. 

It takes Yahaba a moment to feel anything beyond his own trepidation, but then he gets the faintest sense of wariness that feels the same way Kyoutani sounds when he's trying to make peace after an argument. 

"Uh…" Kyoutani murmurs, stroking his finger against Yahaba's. It comes with a sudden spike of boldness that Yahaba borrows, making it his own as he tightens his grip on Kyoutani's hand. 

They look up at each other again, and Yahaba hadn't even realised that he was looking down at their joined hands. Kyoutani gives him a tentative smile and Yahaba can feel his hopefulness, and how willing he is to try this out. Yahaba takes a deep breath, then replies by thinking about how he wants to try this too, pleased at the way Kyoutani's expression changes once he picks up on the feeling, a small smile creeping across his lips.

They hold hands for the remainder of the bus ride, reliving their match, taking the time to dwell in the way they both felt at each significant moment of it. Yahaba likes this, likes the way it means that they're learning each other in an entirely new way. There's no room for misunderstanding like this, with Kyoutani's emotions in the back of Yahaba's mind.

He doesn't really think about the implications of it until they're at school, no longer holding hands. Standing in the gym, listening to Coach Irihata praise them for what they did well and point out what they still need to work on, it really hits Yahaba. Having a bond with Kyoutani means that they're soulmates, that right now, they're perfect for each other. 

Somehow that, more than the fact that they held hands for half the bus trip back to school, makes Yahaba really stop and think about it. It was so easy to accept the bond itself, but Yahaba doesn't know what it's going to mean for them.

Clearly he's not the only one thinking about it, judging by the way Kyoutani hangs back to wait for him in the club room once they've all changed out of their uniforms. 

"You okay?" Kyoutani asks, holding his hand up in front of him, fingers splayed out.

"Yeah," Yahaba replies, pressing the tips of their fingers together. "You?"

It's a little reassuring to feel how nervous Kyoutani is, instead of just amplifying the feeling. Yahaba might be new to this and feeling a bit lost, but so is Kyoutani. Maybe this, like everything else they've figured out in the past few months, is something they can do together. 

"I remember reading somewhere that it's not just feelings you can share," Kyoutani mumbles, linking their fingers together. "Apparently it works for memories too." 

"Yeah?" Yahaba asks, raising an eyebrow. He's heard the same thing too but for once, he doesn't feel the need to prove himself. Instead, he wants to listen to Kyoutani explain it. 

They walk out of the club room, still holding hands, and Yahaba locks the door behind them as Kyoutani draws a breath, clearly picking the best place to begin his explanation. 

"I mean, our memories are kind of linked to our emotions, right?" Kyoutani wets his lips, not quite looking at Yahaba. "It makes sense."

"It does," Yahaba replies, squeezing Kyoutani's hand gently. "Go on." 

Instead, Kyoutani lapses into silence. Perhaps it's because their hands are pressed together, or perhaps it's because Yahaba is beginning to learn Kyoutani, but he can tell that it's a thoughtful silence. Kyoutani's trying to figure out what he wants to say, and how he wants to say it. Yahaba gives him all the time he needs, feeling patient for once, content to just walk with their hands swinging between them. He doesn't even mind the way that some people are glancing at them for it; soulmates aren't that obvious to spot for an outsider, but it's a general fact that when soulmates are together, they tend to hold hands more often than not. Maybe the people around them have figured out that they have a bond, maybe not. Yahaba doesn't really care. 

"There's a memory I want to show you," Kyoutani says. "Share with you? I just—yeah. Here." 

Kyoutani tightens his grip on Yahaba's hand, and Yahaba blinks in surprise as he remembers something that never happened to him. He remembers the feeling of being dragged to a volleyball game for the first time, remembers the scrape of his shoes against the concrete as he tried to dig his heels into the ground. He remembers the lines, how long he had to wait, and how crowded it was once he was finally sitting down. 

He remembers the breathless wonder as he watched his first ever game of volleyball, and the way it filled him with the need to play as well. 

It's Kyoutani's memory and he knows that, but it feels so real, like it might as well be his own. It fills his chest with the same feeling that Kyoutani felt at his first game, the sudden thrill, the need to be on the court.

"Wow," he breathes, looking at Kyoutani with wonder. 

"That's what volleyball means to me," Kyoutani mumbles, not quite meeting Yahaba's eyes. Yahaba can feel his embarrassment, but there's an undercurrent of pride too, like Kyoutani is revealing his true self and standing by it. 

"Why do you always have to be so damn cool?" Yahaba asks, shaking his head with a grin, watching as the tinge of pink in Kyoutani's cheeks darkens and spreads across his face. "My first game of volleyball was nowhere near that interesting." 

"Show me anyway," Kyoutani urges. "I want to know." 

With a quiet snort, Yahaba thinks back to the first time he saw a game. It wasn't even an official, televised game, but a middle school match that happened to be near his elementary school. He thinks about how he watched them, forgetting the game of indoor soccer that he was meant to be playing until his teammates yelled at him to pay attention. He thinks about how it took weeks of pleading for his parents to buy him a volleyball instead of the soccer gear he was asking for before that. He remembers sitting in his room and practicing setting, the ball bouncing off course and hitting the wall just as often as it hit his fingers. 

"That's cute," Kyoutani says quietly, smiling so much that it makes Yahaba's breath catch in his throat. "You're cute." 

"I'm not—"

"Yahaba," Kyoutani interrupts, turning around to face him, squeezing his hand tightly. "You're really fucking cute, okay? I thought it before the bond happened too, and I'm trying really hard not to kiss you in public, because that might be weird and you might not want—"

"Do it," Yahaba tells him.

"What?"

"Kiss me," Yahaba says, feeling his heart racing. "In public. Or not, I don't really care. Kiss me." 

"Right here?" Kyoutani asks, glancing around, turning pink as he shakes his head. "No. Come with me." 

"You're the one who said you wanted to," Yahaba points out with a grin, as Kyoutani pulls him down the street. 

"Shut up," Kyoutani grumbles. "Just because I want to, doesn't mean I should. Did you think about that?" 

"You're no fun," Yahaba teases, but then Kyoutani pulls him into an apartment block, walking right past the elevators and opening the door to the stairwell. 

"Is this where you—" Yahaba begins, but he doesn't get to finish his question before Kyoutani steps into his space, face tilted up a little to press their lips together firmly. 

It's brief, but it still leaves Yahaba reeling, his cheeks growing warm as they pull apart. 

"Yeah," Kyoutani says quietly. "I live here. On the second floor, if you want to come up. We could try this again." 

Grinning, Yahaba gestures at the stairs. "Lead the way."

Nobody else seems to be home, when Kyoutani unlocks the door to his apartment. Yahaba gets the briefest tour, with Kyoutani nodding towards the kitchen and lounge on their way past, and then they're in his bedroom with the door shut behind them and the air between them suddenly feels completely different.

This time, it's Yahaba who takes the initiative. He steps closer, cupping Kyoutani's cheek lightly with one hand and drawing him close. He moves slower than Kyoutani does, letting their breath mingle for a moment before closing the gap with a kiss. 

The hand that isn't on Kyoutani's cheek reaches out, finding Kyoutani's fingers and curling around them as they deepen their kiss. Yahaba isn't brave enough to push further just yet, but it's wonderful enough just to feel the way Kyoutani is enjoying this, and the way they build on top of each other's feelings, until they're smiling too hard to kiss properly any more, but having too much fun to pull away. 

"Cute," Kyoutani mutters against Yahaba's lips before kissing them again.

"You are," Yahaba retorts, impulsively nipping on Kyoutani's lower lip. He's surprised when it makes Kyoutani moan softly, and he can feel the sudden spike of pleasure too, feeling it coiling in his own belly. 

"Yahaba," Kyoutani breathes, urging him to do it again. This time, Yahaba ends up sucking on it, feeling brave enough to run his tongue along Kyoutani's lip. The moan that Kyoutani lets out is amazing in itself, but then he grips Yahaba's hand tighter, wordlessly asking for more.

The slide of their tongues against each other has Yahaba shivering with pleasure and Kyoutani echoes the feeling, pressing himself closer so that they're chest to chest. Yahaba doesn't want to let go of Kyoutani's hand, but winds his free hand around Kyoutani's waist to keep him right where he is. 

They're breathless when they pull apart, panting softly, and they don't even need to speak. Yahaba already knows what Kyoutani's feeling, how much he enjoyed that, just like he's sure Kyoutani knows he feels the same. It all feels too obvious to say out loud, but Yahaba doesn't mind that. He pulls Kyoutani close, resting their foreheads together, and supposes that there are plenty of other ways to communicate anyway. 

Yahaba never really put much thought into soulmates before, the entire concept feeling too abstract for him to dwell on, and he's surprised at just how much it changes. He and Kyoutani are different around each other, both on and off the court. It's a good thing, though, and the rest of the team is quick to figure out the reason behind it. 

They practice together until they're perfectly in sync, until they can predict each other's moves. They forget their preconceived notions and adapt to what they learn about each other. They're perfect for each other, Yahaba reminds himself. That means when they're on the court, too.

Before they're about to walk onto the court for their next match, Kyoutani takes Yahaba's hand firmly in his. They both think back to their practice sessions, to the memory of pure excitement that was Kyoutani's first game, the satisfaction of Yahaba's first win. 

Then they follow each other onto the court, determined to win this game too, pursuing that feeling all over again.


End file.
